Ashburton Guardian, Saturday, December 10, 2022

Don’t be a cowardly lion, go ahead and audition

The Wizard of Oz is a show that’s about searching.

Four main characters in Variety Theatre Ashburton’s major production for 2023 are searching for a heart, a brain, more courage and a way home.

Australian director, Madison Thew-Keyworth, is looking for people to fill those key roles and other characters when VTA auditions for the show today and tomorrow.

She explains the Tin Man is looking for a heart, the cowardly lion needs an injection of courage, the scarecrow is seeking a brain while Dorothy, the lead, is searching for a way home.

The Wizard of Oz is Thew-Keyworth’s fourth production for VTA, and says it’s an ideal show for people recovering from Covid.

“I’m hoping the audience will feel nostalgic for the original movie and walk away with hope and optimism in their own lives,” she said.

“It’s a show that encourages us to find good in people.”

In the Oscar-winning movie, Dorothy is picked up in a whirlwind and dumped in the land of Oz. She wants to return home and seeks help from the Wizard, but makes an enemy of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Thew-Keyworth said there’s a wide range of characters of all ages in the show that will attract people to it, including children who are auditioning this morn-

ing for the Munchkins.

The musical contains many well-known songs such as Somewhere Over the Rainbow, We’re Off To See the Wizard, Ding Dong

the Witch is Dead and Yellow Brick Road.

Mid Canterbury is a community that supports the arts, she said, and finds “every element of the

production is done with care and support”.

“I love the show. It has a message and moral that resonates with me.”

Thew-Keyworth returns in March, 2023, to rehearse the production which runs at the Ashburton Events Centre from May 19-27.

$3600 fine for brutal treatment

‘There is no excuse for this abusive behaviour’

A stock truck driver, who transported goats from Ashburton to a meat processing plant, has been fined $3600 for brutal treatment of some of the animals that were thrown down an unloading ramp.

Wayne Raymond Patterson, 56, was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on two charges under the Animal Welfare Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

There were 11 goats injured in the incident, that came at the end of a long day’s travel in a ma-

jor rainstorm, and a Cook Strait ferry crossing, according to the MPI prosecution team.

On May 30 last year, Patterson collected the feral goats from a property near Ashburton – in which no other details have been released about that property –and drove them to a meat processing plant in Wellington, after boarding the ferry in Picton.

CCTV footage confirmed witness reports of Patterson unloading the goats, MPI said.

“Mr Patterson totally disregarded the Codes of Welfare and Transport for 11 of these goats,’’

MPI regional manager of Animal Welfare and NAIT Compliance, Murray Pridham, said in a statement.

“Throwing nine kid goats and two adults down an unloading ramp on to a hard surface during unloading is unacceptable, and there is no excuse for this abusive behaviour.

“Some of these animals landed on various parts of their bodies and struggled to get to their feet.’’

Patterson was also seen dragging a dying adult goat by its legs, upside down, which was thrown on to the unload-

ing ramp, landing on top of two of the kid goats.

It was unable to stand up and lay on its side moving its legs and head.

He was also seen dragging other adult goats which appeared dead, over the top of some of the kid goats, causing one kid goat to be pulled some distance along the ground.

“These animals would have suffered significant distress and pain,’’ Pridham said.

“Most people in charge of animals do the right thing and treat them with care.’’

He said he hoped the sentence would send a strong message to all who transported animals –there’s always witnesses, and you’ll be held accountable for your actions.

Patterson’s excuse for his mishandling of the animals was that it had been a shattering day and it was always going to be carnage.

“There is simply no excuse for handling the animals this way.

“When we find evidence of deliberate animal mistreatment or cruelty, we will prosecute,” Pridham said.

Director Madison Thew-Keyworth, who arrived from Queensland on Thursday, catches up with president of Variety Theatre Ashburton, Nicky Milmine.

PHOTO MALCOLM HOPWOOD

Decorating for charity

Haven’t decorated your Christmas tree yet?

You may be able to get some ideas from the Festive Forest run by the Ashburton County Lions at the Ashburton Event Centre.

Businesses and organisations from around town have set up a good range of trees, all in the name of charity.

They were judged by Jo Skilling and Phil Hooper.

First place was the tree pictured (left) with Ashburton County Lions members Nicola Kelly and Sue Green, and it was submitted by Altrusa.

Second place was Life Dance Academy, and third place was Rakaia Lions, with an honourable mention going to RX Plastics.

The trees, along with a range of stalls are open to the public from 10am to 6pm today with Santa popping in from 10.30am to 12pm and again from 2.30pm to 4pm.

Entry is $2 per person and $5 for families, with money going towards Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

The dangers of the disc golf course

[ankle] and fallen, and most rounds we have rolled ankles.”

Hooper plays the Ashburton course regularly, as well as others around Canterbury, and believes the Ashburton course is superior, but the fairways need flattening out.

will never meet the standard of a traditional golf course,” Mosley said.

Staff will remedy any obvious areas of risk and roll parts when ground conditions suit, Mosley said.

There are more rolled ankles than hole-in-ones at Ashburton’s increasingly popular disc golf course.

District councillor Phill Hooper is an avid disc golfer, and has raised concerns about the state of the course at the EA Networks Centre, which he believes is the best in Canterbury.

“Something we come across almost every round is rolled ankles,” Hooper said.

“There are a lot of nasty holes in the course.

“It’s a great family sport, but I’ve actually gone over on mine

He said he knows a large number of disc golfers travel to use the Ashburton course, and would hate for it to get a bad rap.

The council has had no reports of injury, but council group manager of people and facilities, Sarah Mosley, said in response to Hooper’s concerns staff are looking into the state of the course.

“Staff will assess the terrain of the course in the coming weeks and if there are any obvious areas of risk, they will try to find a remedy, noting that user care will always be required as the varied terrain within the course

Disc golf is growing in popularity since the 18-hole course opened in 2021, Mosley said, but as anyone can play the course free of charge “it is impossible to monitor or record exact numbers”.

“The EA Networks Centre has tracked 1255 hires and healthy retail sales of the discs, while 369 people who use UDisc, the disc golf app, have recorded their 3256 plays and the course maintains a 4.5 out of 5-star review rating.

“The utilisation of this existing reserve has increased dramatically since the installation of the disc golf course.”

An avid disc golfer, councillor Phill Hooper wants the fairways flattened out on the “best course in Canterbury”.

PHOTO JONATHAN LEASK 081222-JL-001

PHOTO DANIEL ALVEY

Jonathan Leask

Big trip for a stately centenarian

Malcolm Hopwood

To celebrate the centenary of his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in November, Bruce McIlroy drove it to Central Otago and back again.

“The car performed faultlessly and we travelled at 95kph,” Bruce said.

“It’s a perfectly driveable car, and gives me great satisfaction.”

He describes the Silver Ghost as the “pinnacle of British engineering”, but his Rolls has something special.

It’s a touch of royalty, and wouldn’t look out of place in any episode of The Crown.

Manufactured in November, 1922, for a private London owner, it was later purchased by the Kenyan Government as a royal car for the visit of the future king, Edward VIII.

It was an open tourer and allowed Edward to stand up and be seen by the Kenyan people.

“It was England’s flagship car and everything that Rolls-Royce stood for,” McIlroy said.

“It had style, reliability, prestige

and had big wheels that could take it across rough country.”

When Edward returned to England, it was left in Kenya and used as a safari car until abandoned in the bush in 1940. There it degenerated for 20 years, with a tree growing through its middle.

In 1960 an Englishman, Jack Ruben, living in Kenya, bought it for 10 pounds which was spent at the bar confirming the deal. The car was der-

model that made Rolls-Royce famous throughout the world.

When Bruce realised it was former royalty, he checked it out meticulously “but he hadn’t left anything behind”.

It’s McIlroy’s for life, he’s never going to sell it and he’s completed 80,000 miles in it around New Zealand and on an international rally from England through France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Slovenia and

elict and the engine had seized.

He had it restored by Italian coach-builders in Nairobi, he then purchased a 1911 Rolls-Royce motor and radiator from government supplies and had it flown to England.

It took more than 15 years to restore, but eventually it came to New Zealand, where Ashburton’s Bruce McIlroy bought it in 1999. “I’d had several Rolls and Bentleys in the past, but this was a Silver Ghost, the

back to Britain again in 2013.

He’s going to celebrate the 10th anniversary of that journey next year.

He’s also planning the 50th anniversary of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley Club in Masterton in March next year.

He acknowledges it’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but doesn’t drive it for its value. “It’s an honour and pleasure to own a piece of royal motoring history,” he said.

It was England’s agship car and everything that Rolls-Royce stood for. It had style, reliability, prestige and had big wheels that could take it across rough country

“

Above – A 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom, which Bruce McIlroy is restoring for an American owner.

Left – Bruce McIlroy, owner and restorer of Rolls-Royce and Bentleys, with his Silver Ghost which celebrated its centenary in November.

The Spirit of Ecstasy, which Eleanor Thornton, the mistress of Lord Montagu, disrobed and modelled for Rolls-Royce in 1911. It adorns the Rolls-Royce bonnet.

‘If in doubt; click out’

Malcolm Hopwood

Be aware of fake parcel delivery emails and texts this Christmas.

Senior partner at BNZ Ashburton, Karen Burrowes, said with increased shopping online this Christmas, many people are receiving fake delivery emails.

Burrowes, who regularly takes her Scam Savvy message to groups around Mid Canterbury, said the fake messages ask for small value payments before the parcel is delivered.

The “phishing” link sends recipients to a fake page and requests banking and personal details.

“If customers receive an email about the delivery of a parcel, always hover over the link and check the sender’s details to see if they look right,” Burrowes said.

“If you have doubts, don’t click on the link.”

If people are waiting on a legitimate delivery and receive an email or text, they should check the delivery company’s official website, such as New Zealand Post or Courier Post, and track their parcel directly from there.

Burrowes believes Mid Canterbury people are getting more savvy about scams but she’s still receiving regular visits from customers, both from her bank and others, about fraudulent texts they’ve received.

A further phishing expedition currently on the increase is where custom-

ers are being told their bank cards have been stopped because of a fraudulent transaction.

She said the customer is then asked to check on a link.

Behind the link the customer is then asked for banking details such as their password and access number.

“Once the scammer gets that information, they can log into a person’s account and transfer money out,” she said.

“This scam has been around for three to four months now, but is becoming very prevalent this Christmas.”

Burrowes said several of her clients have lost large amounts.

The bank has put a block on their internet banking, but it doesn’t necessarily get them their money back.

“There’s a huge criminal business out there and it’s not likely to go away,” she said.

With New Zealand banking returning to normal, Burrowes intends to get out and talk to more community groups in 2023 about “being scam savvy”.

Seniors newsletter, in its December issue, alerts its readers to be Shop Safe this holiday period. It makes the following recommendations;

■ Does the site’s name match the goods?

■ Check the look and feel of the site. Check for inconsistent style and grammar.

■ Ensure there are more than one payment options.

■ Research the seller or company

■ Check for contact details and return policies.

■ Look for the company’s social media presence.

Fake delivery emails request personal banking details, said BNZ’s senior partner, Karen Burrowes.

PHOTO MALCOLM HOPWOOD

Hard work rewarded

“It has been a very successful amalgamation,” Burgess said.

“It just made common sense at the time.”

The brigade was one of the first to join urban and rural divisions under Fenz, and is now being used as a model of how to do it for other locations across the country.

“We already had a big station that could hold all the trucks, and we have added a shed out the back for some of the support vehicles.”

SHORT SHARP &

Highway road works

Waka Kotahi has an almost $1 million work programme on State Highways in Mid Canterbury this summer that is already under way.

Rehabilitation works are planned at two sites, a 170m section south of SH1 Chertsey Rail crossing and 1.3km of SH1 south of Hinds. Waka Kotahi maintenance contract manager for Mid and South Canterbury, John Keenan, said the combined cost of the rehabilitation works is around $775,000. There is also seven sections, five on SH1 and two on SH77, being resealed at a cost of around $160,000.

Walnut Ave cones

Ashburton District councillors were not impressed that just days after the cones were cleared from the Walnut Avenue upgrade they were back, along with a temporary 30km/h speed limit for some surface repairs around manhole covers south of the intersection. Waka Kotahi maintenance contract manager for Mid and South Canterbury, John Keenan, said the work couldn’t be done at the same time as the Walnut Ave work, as it would have made for overcomplicated temporary tra c management setups.

Armed offenders

The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade has been recognised for successfully joining the rural and urban sides of the operation.

The brigade was given the achievement award for the amalgamation by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) this week.

Chief fire officer Alan Burgess said the transition, which has been ongoing for the past four years, has proved successful so far.

The joining of the two brigades was instigated after Fenz took over in 2017.

It took the rural brigade, which was operated by the Ashburton District Council, and had a small shed on South Street, and brought it under one roof at the Ashburton Fire Station.

“When the rural guys first came over, we rebuilt the middle of the station to accommodate them,” Burgess said.

Burgess said having the two divisions under one roof allows for volunteers to be trained on one side, either urban or rural, and be able to move across if they feel better suited to that rule.

While the transition has been going on since 2018, Burgess said there is still more to be done, especially on the personnel side.

“In the future, we would like to start having firefighters trained for either rural or urban callouts,” Burgess said, adding that while they are both there to fight fires there are some key skill differences required.

District promoters pull out

and trade exposure to national and international markets.”

A locally-based Mid Canterbury Tourism Advisory Group provided local guidance and feedback into the ChristchurchNZ work programme, Donaldson said.

The Armed O ender’s Squad were called into Ashburton for a pre-planned search warrant in Netherby on Thursday morning, as part of an ongoing investigation. Aoraki detective senior sergeant, Leigh Jenkins, couldn’t comment on the details but said there was no risk to the community.

Garage fire

The Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade was called to a garage fire on Moore Street at around 6pm on Wednesday. Chief fire o cer, Alan Burgess, said the garage was completely destroyed, but the surrounding buildings were undamaged. Burgess said investigations into the cause of the fire were still ongoing.

Number change

ChristchurchNZ is pulling out halfway through its contract to provide tourism promotion for the Ashburton District.

The regional tourism group was awarded a three-year contract, $195,000 a year, for destination marketing from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2024.

ChristchurchNZ has informed the council it will terminate its role in February in line with a new strategic decision to withdraw from the surrounding districts and focus on the city.

Council group manager compliance and development, Jane Donaldson, said the council is determining options and working through an analysis.

Those options will go before the council, likely in February.

The district had previously been promoted by the council controlled Experience Mid Canterbury, from 2013 until it wound up in 2020.

The marketing of the district moved into the hands of ChristchurchNZ Ltd, which

employed the district’s tourism manager Bruce Moffatt.

ChristchurchNZ was then awarded a three-year contract in 2021.

During its tenure, ChristchurchNZ was required to report quarterly to the council.

“It employed a dedicated Mid

Canterbury-focused staff member to leverage other functions of the wider ChristchurchNZ organisation to manage day-to-day district tourism duties,” Donaldson said.

“Benefits included domestic visitor campaigns, industry partnership and engagements, media

ChristchurchNZ will, however, still complete the Destination Management Plan for the region.

As part of that work, ChristchurchNZ acting general manager of destination and attraction, Tracey Wilson, said the organisation reviewed its priorities for the future.

The decision to end the contract with Ashburton came after an extensive review the ChristchurchNZ board approved in October, she said.

The Destination Management Plan covers Mid Canterbury and Wilson said the process and implementation of that plan will raise important decisions for the Mid Canterbury community and the council.

The 03 phone number for the Ashburton Fire Station is no longer active. The new number for the station, which is only for non-emergency enquiries, is 027 214 8946. Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire o cer, Alan Burgess, said the change was nothing more than updating old numbers. “It means there should always be someone to answer the phone,” Burgess said.

Boil water

The boil water notice has been lifted for the Methven–Springfield water supply, after three consecutive days of clear results. The boil water notice was issued due to high turbidity arising from the heavy rainfall event in late November a ecting the UV treatment system. The Ashburton District Council is currently constructing a new water treatment plant in Methven that will also supply Methven-Springfield and remove the need for boil water notices on the supply in the future.

Proud of their achievement: Ashburton Volunteer firefighters (from left) John Ferguson, Jeff Marshall and Greg Bruce with Fire and Emergency New Zealand chief executive Kerry Gregory Ashburton chief fire officer Alan Burgess and FENZ region manager Paul Henderson.

ChristchurchNZ has informed the council it will terminate its role in February in line with a new strategic decision to withdraw from the surrounding districts and focus on the city.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Jonathan Leask

“Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air”

Daniel Alvey

More Mid Canterbury homes will be warmer next year

More than 200 Mid Canterbury homes will have warmer, more energy-efficient homes in 2023.

Earlier this year EA Networks, in partnership with EcoBulb, warmed over 80 homes by supplying LED light bulbs, energy-efficient tips and low cost solutions.

Next year EA Networks plans to more than double that number by providing support to a further 200 homes during winter months.

An application to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has seen it receive $60,000 towards the project. EA Networks will contribute $25,000 and a further $25,000 grant from the Community Energy Action Charitable Trust for home insulation will see the fund increase to $110,000.

EA Networks’ Customer Experience Manager, Jessica Harris, said the company has “put a lot of thought into how we can help our local community lower electricity costs and be more energy efficient.”

“The $110,000 will be used to help homes prepare for winter and reduce electricity costs.”

EA Networks has evaluated the success of its 2022 programme and EcoBulb manager director, Chris Mardon, said the “average savings across the first 80 homes was $702 per year.”

“We’re looking forward to bringing some great cost reductions to other homes in Mid Canterbury,” he said.

EA Networks will look to partner with local community agencies to help identify those in the local community who could use support.

“We’re proud of our community ownership and finding ways to reduce costs for our community and contributing in positive ways is really important to us,” said EA Networks’ CEO, Roger Sutton.

CEO of EA Networks, Roger Sutton and Roberta de Wys, an Ashburton resident, who received an in-home energy assessment from EA Networks, this year, discuss energy efficiency and improvements to the home that can save money.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Tackling the rise in truancy

Jonathan Leask

Truancy is a growing problem in New Zealand and Mid Canterbury is not exempt, local principals say.

Attendance issues in many local schools are certainly on the rise, according to Mid Canterbury Principals’ Association spokesman and Ashburton Intermediate principal, Brent Gray.

“Even though we have great support from the Mid Canterbury Attendance Service, there are some challenging cases that are ongoing after initially being Covid lockdown related,” Gray said.

“Some of the absenteeism can also be attributed to a change in attitude towards time spent as a family in doing things together, and a long weekend might turn into an extra day away from school if a family is going out of town.

“This is easy to see and generally isn’t ongoing, so the focus is on those students who show regular patterns of absences.”

According to the Ministry of Education, only 39.9 per cent of New Zealand students regularly attended school in Term 2, with a rise in Covid 19 cases a key contributor.

Covid cases were rampant across schools in Mid Canterbury at the end of term 1 and across term 2, impacting the attendance figures.

Those absences are explained, and acceptable.

It is the repeat unjustified absences of some students that is the issue and it is a number that is increasing.

The Education Review Office (ERO) recently published a report

highlighting the rising truancy issue in New Zealand, stating only three out of five learners regularly attend school.

New Zealand Principals’ Federation president, Cherie Taylor-Patel, said students who fail to make 90 per cent attendance are considered non-regular attenders.

“It doesn’t take many halfdays off school to drop to below 90 per cent, and Covid alone would account for the majority of non-regular attendance over

the last three years,” Taylor-Patel said.

Ashburton College principal, Ross Preece, said the school was sitting at around an 82 per cent attendance rate for the year, a reasonable figure considering the mass absences from Covid 19 cases earlier in the year.

Truancy is not a widespread issue at college, he said.

“It isn’t an issue as such for the college, but it is an issue for some families,” he said.

At Mount Hutt College there

has been a “slight increase” in absenteeism in 2022 compared to the past two years, but on par with 2018 and 2019, principal Jack Saxon said.

He said the increase was likely explained by the fact that most students were coded as present during lockdowns in 2020-2021 as they were engaged in online learning regardless of their health.

But in 2022, with onsite learning remaining in place, any sick students have stayed home

impacting the overall statistics.

“Even with the drop, our overall attendance rates remain well above the national and regional averages,” Saxon said.

“With a school roll at 500 we only have three or four students who have issues related to truancy.”

He said since the first lockdown the small number of students at risk of truancy have had an increase in absences, but there hadn’t been in increase in the number of students.

Service doubles, but ‘it’s still not enough’

Mid Canterbury’s truancy service has witnessed an increasing demand in the past seven years that has been exacerbated by the impacts of Covid 19.

Safer Mid Canterbury has delivered attendance services in the Ashburton District since 2002 and in its 2021-22 annual report stated the number of referrals had more than doubled, with the disruptions of Covid having a big impact.

General manager Kevin Clifford said it is not a case of the problem being twice as bad, but a reflection of an increased capacity to tackle truancy.

“Pre-Covid referrals were far lower, we were expecting about 60-80 referrals a year and this year we have had about 150,” he said.

“Even though we are doing more work it’s because we have more capacity.

“We have had more money, so invested more in our service, giving a higher level of response.”

Covid has caused people to “get out of the habit” of attending school and it’s only accelerated an already increasing trend.

“The stats have been trending poorly since around 2015, so it is

not just Covid.”

The attendance service works with families, schools, and other groups to improve school attendance for children who have a high level of unjustified absences. he said.

Thanks to Covid they have been able to double the funding for the service in the past two years, he said, so they now have two people covering a fulltime role, twice as

ments were a growing issue, he said.

“They are kids not even at school. They have left a school somewhere else and moved to the district but haven’t re-enrolled, so schools aren’t aware of them but they come on our books.”

Clifford said their service is only one part of it, as are the schools, and the parents.

you haven’t addressed a single problem and you just have the problem repeat the next week.”

The service works on removing obstacles to get the student back at school on a regular basis.

Clifford said even with double the funding to double the service it’s still not enough.

“Where necessary, they are then referred to other agencies that might be able to support the situation.”

much as they had two years ago.

Covid has also added to the complexities of some cases, he said.

“There can be a bit more going on for some families that makes it harder to bring about a good outcome.”

Truancy can be due to a range of factors and the attendance advisors assist young people and their families to get the support they need to get back into school or alternative education, he said.

The number of non-enrol-

“There is a whole community out there.

“The success of a community relies on young people being engaged and getting an education, so there is a role for everybody to play.

“It’s well accepted that if kids aren’t in school that they find other things to occupy their time and it’s a precursor to offending.”

Dealing with truancy is more complicated than the “old days of dragging the student back to school”.

“It proved never to work, as

If there are complex problems and issues with a cases it takes a lot of time, he said, and with one

Preece said truancy services do the best they can “but they are stretched” so seeking funding for their own engagement advisor was “trying something different” to help address the issue.

“If a student isn’t coming to school, is there some barrier the school can fix easily?

“It’s about trying to be solutions focused.”

The role has been successful, Preece said, but future funding for it is not confirmed.

“We are looking at trying to continue that funding for next year, but there is no guarantees.”

fulltime role and 150 cases they are stretched thin.

Ashburton College and Ashburton Intermediate School have also been able to source an engagement advisor with funding from the Ministry of Education.

Intermediate principal Brent Gray said the advisor supports Year 7-10 students who are showing early patterns of absenteeism, he said, with a particular focus on students where more than one student in the household might be showing those patterns.

Mount Hutt College has also accessed a pool of ministry money, principal Jack Saxon said, to support increasing engagement and are “looking at how this can best serve our most at risk learners in 2023”.

Safer Mid Canterbury general manager, Kevin Clifford, says truancy stats have been trending poorly since around 2015, so Covid is not completely to blame, and Attendance Service has recently doubled its capacity to tackle the issue.

The success of a community relies on young people being engaged and getting an education, so there is a role for everybody to play

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Hear, hear councillor Phill Hooper. The newbie councillor, probably more widely known to the masses as the long-time Mid Canterbury morning show radio host, is spot on with his concerns about Ashburton’s disc golf course (story, page 3).

The only problem is that Hooper has perhaps politically held back on what he may really want to say.

His beef is the health and safety risk of playing on the course because of what he calls “a lot of nasty holes’’ which are leaving users with rolled ankles or near misses.

“It’s a great family sport, but I’ve actually gone over on mine and fallen, and most rounds we have rolled ankles,” Hooper said.

Well, let’s say I’m not surprised by his concerns.

I’ve only had a couple of goes on the course, which opened last year, and a few things immediately stuck out about the Ashburton setting for the game, which apparently has 20,000 registered users nationally, plus 18 affiliated clubs, and is one of the fastest growing sports globally, if you’re to believe all the hyperbole.

For the uninitiated, disc golf is like regular golf, except there are no clubs and balls. Just a disc (think frisbee) that players throw and aim for wire baskets instead of holes.

If you’re good, you’ll throw your disc in the metal basket

every time. If you’re like me, especially playing in Ashburton, you’ll need a weed eater, a flamethrower, six Golden Retrievers and two Sherpa guides to find your lost disc in the bush, trees, and overgrown grass, or even across the road somewhere completely out of bounds.

The Ashburton course’s 18 holes – yes, they call them holes – sit amongst trees and bushes in a tight layout on the Smallbone Drive reserve near the EA Networks Centre.

my disc golf muscle in January.

The overgrown grass and the general course terrain I encountered sounds like it’s no better now. It was disappointing with a capital D.

Perhaps that’s because I was comparing it to what really is a beautiful course at Queens

an inviting, almost magical place to play.

Ashburton’s on the other hand is simply shoddy and badly needs to be shown some love by those responsible for its upkeep.

Hooper, being an avid disc golfer, believes the Ashburton course is arguably the best in Canterbury. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t say much for the others.

Ashburton’s on the other hand is simply shoddy and badly needs to be shown some love by those responsible for its upkeep.

There’s not a lot of distance between each hole and it’s not overly challenging, taking less than an hour for most to complete the course. Oddly, and disappointingly, none of the holes were numbered when I flexed

Park in my old home town of Invercargill. Set amongst mature trees and with well-manicured grounds, the course at Invercargill’s premier park is also short, making it friendly to beginners, but it’s tight enough to offer a challenge for advanced players.

But the setting is the key. It’s

So, what to do? Find the funding to improve it, to sort out the almost unplayable and obviously unsafe terrain. Make it a genuine drawcard for locals and outsiders, even develop it to become a tourist attraction.

At the moment, the development and maintenance of the course has been a half-arsed effort at best.

There, said it for you councillor.

Daryl Holden

Oh, this is fun: Finn Holden spent more time in the bushes and overgrown grass when playing disc golf on the Ashburton course, which has justifia

bly been criticised for its poor upkeep and unsafe nature.

‘Incredible’ Trott’s Gardens visit

My family were down from Christchurch and, after dining out, they took me up to tour Trott’s Gardens.

It is many years since I last visited and what a fantastic job Alan and Catherine have done over the years.

I was absolutely gobsmacked at the beauty of the place. Where else could you see such a wonderful display?

The colours, at this time dominated by the rhodies, were fantastic, and the trees through the walkways, absolutely fascinating. And then the hedges. Well, they

are all incredible.

After seeing all this, I was sad to have read that the gardens are up for sale. I think I can understand why the trust are doing this.

The maintenance costs must be very high, trimming all these hedges, edges, lawns, as well as maintaining the flowers.

However, I had an incredible afternoon, and if you have not been up there in recent times, it is a must.

Bruce Leighton

Toot for Tucker thanks

The Ashburton County Lions wish to extend their sincere ap-

preciation to the members of the public who so generously donated to our Toot for Tucker appeal.

Also, those people at Hinds, Lake Hood and Fairton, who participated in their own area.

Thank you to all the volunteers and the many clubs who so willingly gave up their time to help.

It is not only just the cars and runners, but the helping of sorting food afterwards. The new venue worked well for us all. We apologise to any we missed that night.

So please take your bag to the food banks.

Toot for Tucker makes a huge difference to so many families. Thank you.

Nicola Kelly and Jill Stephen

Nurturing the soil, nurtures me

‘

CROPS 2022 omits to mention soil’, a headline in the Guardian, caught my attention this week.

Soil, water and sun together, allow plants to give us oxygen and food.

Soil is not dirt. It is an amazing ecosystem.

I am not a scientist so my understanding is naïve and hazy, but I am aware that roots and earthworms build a structure in

Johanna Warren CHRISTIAN COMMENT

which air and water can filter to those same roots and to funghi and other organisms invisible to the naked eye.

My consolation when I allow fruit to get rotten is that it will

be broken down in the compost bin to feed my garden soil.

Nurturing the, soil nurtures me. Not only in having produce to eat but in a connection that seems to be integral to being human.

Perhaps because as Genesis tells it we are earthlings, fruit of the ground ourselves.

Recently I have heard wise people around me say, it takes us all.

It takes us all in connection to produce a community in which everyone is cared for and has the opportunity for a satisfying life.

It apparently takes the care of those, gardeners and farmers, who nurture the soil, the digestion of earthworms and bacteria and action of roots, rain and air to nurture soil that satisfies; that produces well.

Taking part in the web of life

hidden beneath my feet, by pulling out plants that I have harvested to put in others, and spread richly brown compost about is a hopeful pleasure.

I am glad to be an earthling and hope to live comfortably and on friendly terms with the bacteria, earthworms and even the birds and cats that follow me in the garden.

Johanna Warren is with Hakatere Presbyterian

LETTERS EDITOR TO THE

JOHN ‘STAMPED’ on hundreds of farms

In the 1950s and ‘60s, many hard-bitten Mid Canterbury cockies didn’t believe in farm advisers.

There was a stigma going around that if you needed outside help, you were a bad farmer.

But John Kinvig and the Lauriston Farm Improvement Club thought otherwise. The club met in the Lauriston Hall in the 1950s and Kinvig was one of its first advisers.

Despite local scepticism, club members thought farmers weren’t getting sufficient advice and needed support to improve their business operations. They established a base, appointed an adviser and developed his role.

John Kinvig was one of the first and began an almost lifetime association with the club.

He hung out his shingle at 23 and, by then, was already as colloquial as a cockie. He’d swallowed the Department of Agriculture handbook by the time he visited his first farm.

John was born in Ashburton, was dux of Tinwald School and attended Ashburton High for three years, leaving with School Certificate. But Lincoln College didn’t beckon until he had practical experience on a farm.

For two years he worked on Bailey Withell’s farm at Ealing, cycling home on Fridays and back again on Sunday evenings.

Compulsory military training intervened at Burnham and he then started at Lincoln but, during his years of study, graduating with a diploma in valuation and farm management, he spent months on a cropping farm in Methven and a dairy farm in the North Island.

“When I arrived I knew what I was talking about. I had to have practical farming experience,” he said. “I was lucky. I stumbled into an occupation that satisfied me.”

Kinvig explains his job was being a “jack of all trades, master of none” but he had practical experience to back it up.

“Every six weeks I’d walk every paddock on every farm, looking at the soil, stock and crops,” he said. “I’d be recommending fertiliser, sowing rates and I’d monitor for disease and weeds.”

He explained the job involved everything about farming, including finances, budgeting and personal issues. “My advice had to be good because they were paying me. If they handed over money, they were more inclined to accept my advice.”

By the mid 1960s, John’s reputation had spread and he was offered a farm advisory position in Australia. He was headhunted to go to northern New South Wales to do a similar job.

“I recall the heavy frosts and snow every year. The area was elevated and it could get very cold,” he said.

But eight years later the Lauriston Farm Improvement Club

By Malcolm Hopwood

wanted him back. Several advisers had gone out on their own and there was room for a man steeped in the soil and everything else.

“I was still a farm adviser. I wasn’t a consultant, that word is derogatory to me.”

The period that still burns inside him is the recession years of the 1980s. Drought, high interest rates and Rogernomics saw too many farmers walk off their properties.

“I believe three-quarters of local farmers would have been bankrupt at the time, paying interest rates of 22 per cent and over,” he said.

“We advised them to look for the light at the end of the tunnel

John Kinvig, farm adviser and Morris Eight owner, loved the word perforate, if it referred to the soil or his millions of world stamps.

Above – It was an advanced car in the 1940s and John still takes his Morris Eight regularly on trips around the district.

Right – John was called up for compulsory military training in the 1950s and he has a photographic record of his months of square bashing at Burnham Camp.

PHOTOS MALCOLM HOPWOOD

‘STAMPED’ HIS MARK throughout Mid Canty

and not spend at all.”

Kinvig recalls he even told them to practise bad habits such as using no fertiliser or stock vaccines.

“I remember many times visiting farms and telling the owners to get out of bed and not lose heart,” he said.

He said, in many cases, farmers with equity in their farms left the land because they’d had enough, but those who were bankrupt and had nowhere to go, stayed on.

He points to high interest rates in the 1980s creating inflation “and that’s what’s happening again in New Zealand”.

Kinvig looks back with pride and said none of the farms he looked after sold out because he wouldn’t let them. “We used every trick in the world to survive and they did,” he said.

When he retired in 2014, he was advising 42 farmers. Nothing much had changed but, instead of walking and inspecting the paddocks, he drove around them.

“The farms I visited were in so much better condition than when I started. It was partly through my advice,” he said.

He’s honoured he worked for the Lauriston Farm Improvement Club which is still in existence with four advisers and 160 farms on its books. And, like any good doctor, it has a waiting list.

But Kinvig didn’t retire at 75 to do nothing. He’s a man with many passions.

He pays tribute to his wife Ruth who died five years ago on Christmas Day.

believes he wouldn’t have been successful without her support. “I miss her,” he said.

Early in their marriage they sought an interest that could involve both of them. They attended a swap meeting in Christchurch and Ruth spied a 1948 Morris Eight. It was love at first sight after John.

“Morris Eights were so advanced for their time after the war and we decided to purchase it,” he said.

That was 40 years ago and John has garaged it and kept it in immaculate condition ever since.

With Ruth as chairperson of the Morris Eight Tourers Club, they travelled New Zealand for many years and saw parts of the country close up and personal.

John has been head of the Erewhon Lodge for

Mid and South Canterbury and its District Grand Master on several occasions, but his abiding interest has been stamps.

“I’m a stamp hoarder,” he said.

“I have the hoarding instinct.”

It all began when he was eight and his great uncle, Gustav Fritz Constantine Rummel, a Gallipoli veteran, gave him his first stamp album.

“I’m sure I became dux of Tinwald because of my knowledge of history and geography that I absorbed through collecting,” he said.

Today John has millions of stamps, multi-millions, he’s lost count and has dedicated part

of his house to the volume of albums in his possession.

“I must have one of the largest collections in New Zealand, not in value but in size,” he said. “I collect the world, all countries.”

John spends up to six hours a day, scrutinising and cataloguing.

His collection starts with the Penny Black, the first stamp issued in 1840, and now extends to just about every country.

“I enjoy stamps that have a connection with events and people,” he said.

He remembers spending two weeks’ pocket money buying stamps of Caroline Bay in Timaru that were printed as part of the 1950 Canterbury Centennial.

He’d do it again and wants to continue buying and selling through to when he’s purchased his last First Day Cover and is no longer the stamp hoarder of Hampstead.

He admits it’s an obsession but gets immense satisfaction in buying stamps from other countries. “It’s the thrill of the chase,” he said.

Then he’ll give a quarter of his collection each to his four children, but they’d better be prepared for the delivery and have extra rooms built on their houses.

A recent page of scouting stamps John has purchased, this time from Liberia.

I remember many times visiting farms and telling the owners to get out of bed and not lose heart

“

FRANKFURT, WHERE MEDIEVAL

At the heart of Western Europe, Germany’s financial centre offers quick and easy connections to a plethora of enchanting destinations, courtesy of the masterly integration of the railway with Frankfurt Airport.

But before making tracks on a grand rail romp, why not give this great European gateway a leisurely exploratory, while shaking off the jet lag? Frankfurt is where medieval architectural confections mingle with striking contemporary architecture. But it’s the city’s old bones that commanded my attention.

Medieval structures line the riverbanks of the Main, backed by glinting skyscrapers reaching ever higher to the heavens, giving rise to Frankfurt’s nickname, Mainhattan. (The city has the biggest concentration of skyscrapers in continental Western Europe.)

For a great 360 city panorama, head up the Main Tower, which boasts an observation platform on the 55th floor. It was Deutsche Bank that kicked off the skyscraper craze, challenging other banks to reach for the sky. The twin towers of Deutsche Bank were built in 1984, attracting the endearing local nickname of Credit and Debit.

Adjacent to the business district, the high-end residential district of the Westend is lovely to stroll through, ogling the palatial 19th century villas. But much of Frankfurt’s medieval texture in the Altstadt (Old Town) is not as old as it looks – painfully reconstructed post-World War Two.

Such meticulous, impeccable attention to detail will leave you scratching your head as to whether the gabled roofs and timbered facades are merely reproductions or the medieval originals. Remarkably the full reconstruction of the historic district was only finished off five years ago.

The headline attraction is Romerberg, the quintessential town square, where the timeless ambience and cluster of medieval timbered buildings gets the cameras clicking.

Following a coronation at the Dom, the celebration banquets for over 50 kings in the Holy Roman Empire were all held in the imperial hall (Kaisersaal) which the city purchased in 1405, as the town hall. Ever since, this gorgeous three-gabled architectural landmark has maintained its civic stripes with the city council holding its meetings here.

Come late November, the Romerberg was twinkling with the magic of fairy lights and wooden chalets, as the annual Christmas Market sends spirits soaring.

Suffused in the sensory joys of Christmas, not only is this one

By Mike Yardley

of Europe’s largest festive markets, but one of the oldest – first staged in 1393. Traditions abound amongst the vendors, selling a veritable sleigh-load of seasonal gifts and ornaments from hand-painted glass baubles to wooden nutcrackers, while the steaming gluhwein and roasted chestnuts always do a roaring

trade.

A quirky gem tucked behind Romerberg is the little lane of Saalgasse. It is lined with wacky looking, pencil-thin, four storey houses, which were the winning entries in a 1980s art competition for cutting-edge designer townhouses.

They are anything but cookie

cutter, with brilliantly distinctive exteriors. Despite the city being almost completely decimated during World War Two, somehow the Dom, officially known as St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, avoided being bombed.

This heaving pink sandstone Gothic behemoth is where 52 Holy Roman Emperors were crowned from 1356 onwards. It’s a place decorated with all the trappings of royalty, with exquisite stone and glasswork. Admission is free and a must-see.

Further afield, the ornate Frankfurt Opera House is one of my favourite landmarks – every bit as splendid as its Vienna or Paris siblings. Laid to waste in the war, it was nicknamed Germany’s Most

Beautiful Ruin for decades until it was finally restored in the 1980s. Art and culture lovers should make a beeline to the embankment district.

Draping the banks of the Main River, a veritable feast of museums and art galleries await your exploration, including the fabulous Architecture Museum which traces the development of architecture from primitive huts to gleaming skyscrapers.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is Frankfurt’s most famous son, born in the city in 1749.

Regarded as Germany’s Shakespeare, you can visit his family home, a splendidly period furnished Baroque mansion. He once wrote, “offer plenty and you

As one of Europe’s great gateways, Germany’s nancial centre of Frankfurt is a great launch-pad into the continent, but the city’s striking mix of the old and new makes for a rewarding city-stay.

What: One of Europe’s biggest gateways. Fly to Frankfurt from Christchurch, via Singapore.

What stood out: The meticulous reconstruction of medieval buildings smashed to smithereens in World War Two.

What could be better: The neighbourhood immediately surrounding Frankfurt Central Train Station is not exactly salubrious, with a large red light district, rough-sleepers and beggars. Don’t linger.

Good destination for: Lovers of history and culture and travellers keen to shake off the jet lag before exploring Europe.

Best food: You can’t go wrong with the wurst and the schnitzel. Stake out a slice of Frankfurt Crown Cake.

Quirky excursion: Frankfurt’s Peeing Tree, the Pinkelbaum. It’s an artwork installed within an old maple tree that reeks of nature’s revenge. Unsuspecting passers-by are given a hosing by the tree.

Rating out of 10: 8

will surely please some”. His home town seems to have taken that to heart.

Crossing the Main River, Alte Brücke (old bridge) is my favourite Frankfurt bridge, a mighty red sandstone behemoth, with the stone sourced from the Rhine Valley. It is the oldest bridge over the lower course of the river Main, and until 1886 was the only stone bridge crossing the river.

Since its first mention in official documents in 1222, it has been central to Frankfurt’s story.

A gilded rooster marks the former public execution site on the bridge, while during World War Two the Germans bombed the middle arches to try and halt the advance of the Allied troops.

They failed and three days later the United States Army had taken control of the city. Over the centuries, Alte Brücke has been destroyed and reconstructed at least 18 times.

For an authentic Frankfurt experience, head to the labyrinth of rustic little laneways in Sachsenhausen district, replete with the best traditional apple cider taverns in the city.

Colloquially known as Ebbelwei, apple wine has been Frankfurt’s most popular beverage for over 250 years.

Averaging about 5 per cent alcohol content, it’s certainly different to cider, with a sourer, tartier taste.

This traditional brew doesn’t attract excise tax. Cheers!

‘Red Cross and Hato Hone St John, thank you’

World war empathy benefits us to this day

BY GLENN VALLENDER

The Red Cross movement originally evolved from a bloody battle near Solferino, Italy, in 1859 where as a result of the fighting, thousands were lying dead and dying with no medical assistance.

This left a particularly strong impression on Swiss businessman Jean-Henry Dunant, who was appalled at this, and in February, 1863, he met with a group of similarly concerned individuals in Geneva to form the International Committee of the Red Cross.

This evolved into the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and eventually Ashburton joined up with the founding of the Ladies Red Cross Society in 1915.

The founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross by Dunant led to the first 1864 Geneva Convention where it was ultimately decided that all country combatants in war were required to look after the wounded.

For taking the initiative in this way, Dunant became the co-recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

Red Cross comes to Aotearoa

In 1915, during the First World War, the Governor-General of New Zealand, Lord Liverpool, initiated the formation of the NZ Red Cross branch of the British Red Cross.

Lord Liverpool also began the practice of using customised hospital ships to treat and evacuate soldiers from the battlefields wherever this could be done, and this no doubt saved many lives.

The Red Cross in New Zealand evolved from the work of a Mr A. E. G. Rhodes who was instrumental in forming branches of the Red Cross by way of the St John Ambulance Association throughout Canterbury.

However, in Ashburton the Red Cross began as the Ladies Red Cross Society as authorised by the Ashburton sub-centre of the St John Ambulance Association (Ashburton Guardian, July 5, 1915).

As was reported widely at the time, these two bodies did not quite start off on the right footing, as it was considered that there was a conflict in having two societies in the town with similar ideologies.

In Ashburton, the St John Ambulance Association was the senior body and wanted members to be elected to the Red Cross Association committee, but this was not helped by the initial meeting not being attended by the St John representative.

To make matters worse, the Red Cross ladies had decided not to join St John.

In other words, St John want-

Right

Below

ed a coalition of the two bodies.

In the end, this is what happened in 1915, with two members of St John being elected to the Red Cross Association.

In 1920 the joint Council of Red

Cross and St John were incorporated by a private Act of Parliament under the provisions of the War Funds Act of 1915.

This, in effect, clarified the separation of the two organisations

so that any perceived competition for similar philosophies and practices were reduced.

In essence, the Red Cross Society and the many local branches were formed largely because

the St John Ambulance Association were unable on their own to cope with the needs of the war wounded (both world wars) and the sick, so the public stepped in and formed Red Cross branches of the St John Ambulance Association.

These early Red Cross branches were focused on producing goods for war victims, initially bandages and medical goods for hospital ships, and of course they also undertook fundraising efforts.

Today, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies make up the world’s largest humanitarian network, bringing together more than 15 million volunteers from 192 countries.

We thankfully receive the benefits of the vision and work of those who went before us for building up these organisations that alleviate suffering in all its many forms.

Red Cross and Hato Hone St John, thank you.

Above – St John and Red Cross asking for help during World War One.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HATO HONE ST JOHN, ASHBURTON ARCHIVES

Above right – Advertisement from the Ashburton Guardian (Vol.60. May 20, 1940) showing once again the strong relationship between Red Cross and the Order of St John in times of war.

– One of the wooden bandage rollers used for the war effort in 1916.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HATO HONE ST JOHN, ASHBURTON ARCHIVES

– Volunteers rolling bandages for the St John and Red Cross war effort in 1916.

PHOTO AM&HS COLLECTION (PHOTO REFERENCE 05.2013.0074)

FinalWhistle

calling time on a week of sport

Rackets, balls and baubles

The Celtic Squash Club’s Spring League interclub finished in a little bit of Christmas style this week, as players decked themselves out for the final night of the competition.

FULL STORY: P19

Legends of the court recognised

One of the most recognisable faces in local netball coaching circles is now Mid Canterbury Netball’s newest life member.

Andrea Cousins topped off an already incredible year with the surprise presentation of a life membership at Mid Canterbury Netball’s 99th annual general meeting on Monday night, while two other familiar faces on the Mid Canterbury Netball scene –Tania Rule and Janene McDowell – received service awards.

The life membership may have surprised Cousins, but listening to the long list of achievements read out as part of her citation, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to many others in the room.

The list was extensive.

Since her days as a player back in the 1990s for Hampstead, Cousins has not looked back.

There’s not many hats she’s not worn over the years, but coaching has been her number one passion for a long time now.

“I only coach because I find it so enjoyable, so to see that it is appreciated is very humbling,” Cousins said.

Hampstead has been her home club for many years now and she’s an integral part of the running of the Hampstead club, but her coaching has also taken her out of Mid Canterbury.

She has coached club and school teams in Christchurch over the years, while this year she was the coach of the Canterbury U18 team which claimed the national under-18 title.

In 2020 she was the coach for the Mainland team in the Beko

National Netball League, and in 2021 she was the apprentice Tactix coach.

In 2022, as well as coaching the Canterbury U18s, Cousins also coached the Lincoln University team to the Christchurch premier title, and the Hampstead U17 Development team in the Mid Canterbury Netball ACL Premier 3 competition.

She was also named the Christ-

church Netball Centre’s coach of the year, won Mid Canterbury Netball’s Old Collegians Cup for coaching, and won the coaching title at the Netball NZ volunteer of the year awards.

Overall, the list of teams Cousins coached and titles she’s won over the years run in to pages, and alongside that she’s delivered countless coaching sessions at both club and centre level, and

continued to add to her own qualifications.

Always generous with her time and advice, Cousins’ enthusiasm for the game of netball was described in her citation as second to none.

Also recognised at the AGM was another familiar face within the Hampstead club – Janene McDowell.

McDowell received a service

award for her many years of service to netball in Mid Canterbury.

A Hampstead player since the 1990s, McDowell has been president of the Hampstead club committee since 2016.

She first joined the committee in 2012 and has worked in all areas from raffles and bar duties, to helping with uniforms and coaching. She’s also been a rep coach and manager for Mid Canterbury representative teams and has acted as a duty manager and assisted with grading for a number of years.

The night’s other service award went to Tania Rule, whose most recent contribution to netball in Mid Canterbury has been as a bench official.

Rule achieved her national technical official qualification in 2020, which enabled her to attend national tournaments and participate in ANZ Premiership games, making her bench debut at ANZ level in 2021.

This year, she attended the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Tournament as a bench official.

Locally she is an integral part of the bench officials’ team, has been a member of the Ashburton College Netball committee since 2017, and is the manager of the College A team that takes part in both the Mid Canterbury Netball premier competition, and Christchurch’s premier secondary schools’ tournament, SuperNet.

Tania also travels to Christchurch fortnightly to work on premier games in the Christchurch Netball Centre competition.

Stags out for more; Allenton hunt first win

afternoon and would be at short odds to get another win on the board.

They come into the match after a double-header of success against Allenton over the past fortnight, including a comprehensive T20 victory as well.

It’s back to the weekend grind for Mid Canterbury’s two senior cricket sides today.

After a week off to allow South Canterbury the opportunity to play a Hawke Cup match last weekend, the Tweedy Cup comes back into play for the penultimate round of the year before the Christmas break.

Unfortunately, when Mid Canterbury return for their second Hawke Cup match of the campaign next week in Invercargill, there’s no halting of the club game for them, so getting points on the board this week will be paramount for both sides who can expect players to be missing next weekend.

The Tech Stags, who currently sit second in the standings with five wins from their six matches, will host the winless Celtic A on the Ashburton Domain this

“

The match between the Stags and the newcomers to this year’s competition, Celtic, earlier in the season saw the Ashburton side cruise to a 203-run victory down in Timaru, and they’ll be out to do the same again today on home turf.

Allenton will trek down the road to Temuka, still hunting for their first victory of the season.

Their match with the Temuka side earlier in the season was actually one of their better performances, especially with the ball, as they lost by just three wickets after setting 100 as a target.

If a few of their batsmen can apply themselves and bat for time out in the middle today they’ll be able to post a decent score, and their bowlers are more than capable of picking through a batting line up if they get a bit of momentum going.

Both matches begin today at 12 noon.

The Tech Stags, currently second in the standings with five wins, will host the winless Celtic A and would be at short odds to get another win on the board.

From left – Tania Rule, Andrea Cousins and Janene McDowell after receiving their life memberships from Mid Canterbury Netball. PHOTO SUPPLIED

The Tech Stags will be heavily favoured to get the job done against Celtic A on the Ashburton Domain this afternoon.

PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

Matt Markham

Spring league signed off in festive style

The

College 1st XI toppled in final

The Ashburton College 1st XI were unable to finish their year on a high last weekend, dipping out to Christ’s College Development XI in the final of the Canterbury 1st XI Cup.

While full scores aren’t available through PlayHQ for the match, the Ashburton College side were beaten by seven wickets in the match on Hagley Park.

Batting first, the College boys were out to amass a decent score to defend, but were unable to withstand the attack of the Christ’s seamers who tore through their batting line up to leave them all out for 76 in the 16th over.

Seven wickets fell behind the wicket with catches between the wicket keeper and gully as the host side’s bowlers found the perfect length to lure the AshColl batsmen.

With a small total to defend, the bowlers were needed to act and they did, grabbing a wicket in the first and third over of the innings, but it wasn’t enough as Christ’s College advanced through to win the match and qualify for promotion at the start of next year.

Meanwhile it was a tough day out for the Ashburton College 2nd XI in their final act for the year as well, playing Lincoln High School’s Under 19.

Bowling first, the College side were in large parts excellent with the ball, but two big innings from Lincoln batsmen lifted their total to 229 from their 40 overs.

Mitchell Lye was the pick of the College bowlers with 3-36 off his eight overs while John Stanway took 2-22 off his five.

Stanway returned to open the batting effort for his side and along with Lye set a good foundation with a 37-run opening partnership. But when they departed, the wickets fell regularly and only a 20-run effort from Nicholas Dalgety near the tail provided much resistance as College were rolled for 129, well short of their target.

Tough week on the fairways

match-up against Poverty Bay East Coast.

There will be no playoff golf today for Aorangi’s two sides competing at the Golf New Zealand Inter Provincial tournament in Tauranga this week.

A tough week on the greens and fairways has had both the men’s and women’s sides well off the pace in the tournament, as the big regions and heavy-hitters of the golfing landscape thrived.

After a win and a loss to start their week, the men’s side sat out Wednesday morning’s round with the bye, and then returned in the afternoon to take on North Harbour.

The match-up was tight the whole way through, but halved matches to Kris O’Neill and Marcus Tessier were all the Aorangi side walked off with as they lost 1-4.

Thursday saw the one round played for the day, and Aorangi put themselves right in contention to push for a victory in their

Wins to Rakaia Golf Club representatives Ryan Cockburn and Cameron Grant put them right in contention, but the remaining three matches all went the way of their rivals who claimed a 3-2 overall victory.

That left the side well off the pace heading into yesterday’s final round before the semi-finals and even comprehensive victories against yesterday’s opponents Northland and Otago wouldn’t have been enough to see them advance.

They ended up on the wrong side of the ledger against Northland yesterday morning, losing 0-5, but were out to finish on a high in their match-up with Otago yesterday afternoon.

After a tough couple of days the women’s side had an early finish yesterday without swinging a club.

They had the bye yesterday morning and then picked up a win by default in the afternoon following the withdrawal of Tasman from the tournament, which lifts them into the middle of the pack in the overall standings.

Celtic Squash Club signed off on their spring league in fine fashion and with a bit of Christmas cheer this week. The well-supported competition’s final night was held at the Celtic club’s Keenans Road base, with a big night on the courts culminating in the final between the league’s two top teams. Players were encouraged to get behind the Christmas spirit and enjoy the evening while also celebrating the end of the competition, which has run for the past three months with matches each week. This year’s final saw Team Kirsty Clay Property Brokers taking on Team Pat Summerfield Electrical, with Kirsty Clay’s side emerging as comprehensive victors at the end of the night’s play. They won four of the five head-to-head battles during the evening, with Chris Thompson providing the only respite for the Pat Summerfield team with his 3-1 victory over Ben Kruger. In the other match-ups, Craig Donaldson beat Shane Muckle, Kirsty Clay beat Patrick Sandrey, Lucas Raphold was victorious over Craig Henshilwood and Harry Trott beat Ashley Ritchie.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Aorangi golfers, including a number of local players, have had a tough week on the greens at the NZ Golf Inter Provincial in Tauranga.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Best on court: Team Kirsty Clay Property Brokers, (from left) Ben Kruger, Kirsty Clay, Craig Donaldson, Harry Trott and Lucas Raphold.

Matt Markham

Matt Markham

Bowlers chase Sevens crown

Markham

There will be a distinct Mid Canterbury flavour on the greens this weekend when Bowls Canterbury holds the section play stage of this season’s Sevens competition.

Fast-becoming one of the most sought-after interclub titles in the region, the sevens format offers the opportunity for the best of the best to match up and compete against each other across two weekends of play.

And it all starts tomorrow.

All counted 44 teams from across the wider Canterbury region will compete in two divisions, with the top two teams from each of the 11 sections advancing through to the post-section stage next weekend.

Two Mid Canterbury sides will line

up in Division One for the tournament, and they’ve managed to land in the same qualifying pool with Allenton and Methven, set to do battle on the Burnside green tomorrow morning from 9am.

They’ll come up against two very strong sides including Halswell and Belfast and will need to bring all their skill to the green to advance to next week.

Allenton also have a second side in Division two who will head to Woodend to compete against teams from Bowls Papanui, Belfast and Woolston Park.

The Methven Bowling Club will also play host to one section in Division two with teams from Bowls Hornby, Belfast, Parklands and Kaiapoi coming into town for the day’s play.

In Division two, the top team from each section plus the next best placed runner up will advance.

The post section stages are held next Sunday with Burnside Bowling Club hosting the Division one finals and Fendalton the Division two matches.

Robinson rewarded for outstanding contribution

Former Mid Canterbury rugby and world-renowned doctor, Deb Robinson was awarded the outstanding contribution to New Zealand Rugby at the annual rugby awards ceremony this week.

Robinson, who was a part of the Mid Canterbury rugby set-up before moving onto posts with Canterbury, the Crusaders, the All Blacks and the Black Ferns was awarded the Steinlager Salver for her efforts and dedication over many years of service to the game of rugby.

She has also recently joined the World Rugby Council as New Zealand’s first female representative.

As expected, the Black Ferns were the toast of the evening, picking up the team of the year award.

Individually, the team’s big winner was co-captain Ruahei Demant. The New Zealand first five-eighth won three awards –the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial player of the year, Tom French Maori player of the year and Black Ferns player of the year. Wayne Smith was named coach of the year.

Award winners:

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year: Ruahei Demant (Auckland). Team of the Year: Black Ferns. Coach of the Year: Wayne

Smith (Black Ferns). Black Ferns Player of the Year: Ruahei Demant. All Blacks Player of the Year: Ardie Savea. Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year: Ruahei Demant (Tē Whānau ā Apanui/Te Whakatōhea/Ngāti Awa). Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year: Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year: Michaela Blyde. Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year: Will Jordan (Crusaders). Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year: Luka Connor (Chiefs Manawa). Try of the Year: Stacey Fluhler (Black Ferns v England). Duane Monkley Medal: Bryn Gatland (North Harbour). Fiao’o Faamausili Medal: Maia Joseph (Otago). National Men’s Team of the Year: Wellington.

National Women’s Team of the Year: Canterbury. National Men’s Coach of the Year Scott Robertson (Crusaders). National Women’s Coach of the Year: Blair Baxter (Canterbury). New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year: Peter Lakai (Wellington). Ian Kirkpatrick Medal: Sam Parkes (Ngāti Porou East Coast).

Steinlager Salver (Outstanding contribution to New Zealand Rugby): Dr Deb Robinson.

New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year: Ben O’Keeffe (Auckland). Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year: Cathy Charles (Otago).

Shift in tradition a sure thing for Razor?

governing body of the sport in New Zealand is clearly a desperate attempt to stop the current Crusaders coach from signing on the dotted line for any other country.

Time is running out for New Zealand Rugby, and it would appear they know it.

Now one can only hope that the horse hasn’t bolted before the stable door is closed.

Chief executive Mark Robinson announced this week that they would likely have to break tradition and announce the next All Blacks head coach before the Rugby World Cup next year.

Current coach Ian Foster has his contract up at the completion of the tournament, and given the fast-moving beast that is change in the coaching ranks across the globe currently, NZR know that they need to be quick if they’re to get their man.

That man, of course, is Scott Razor Robertson.

And this latest move by the

Only that could cause such a break away from tradition from NZR, who have generally been in the position where it’s a case of every coach wanting to put their hand up for the job, as opposed to the prospect of watching a leading contender waltz away overseas.

Given a tumultuous 2022 campaign by the All Blacks, no longer can one afford to rest on reputation alone.

The sheen that’s shrouded the black jersey has diminished somewhat and all of a sudden, alternate options for both players and coaches are that little bit more appealing.

To be fair though, Robertson should have been secured as far back as 18 months ago.

Even if not in the head coaching role, some form of involvement with the All Blacks set-up

would have had him a far better position to take over the team at the end of the next year.

Instead, blind loyalty and a dedication to an old boys network that’s existed since the days of Sir Ted led the Union to believe their best course of option was to leave arguably the best coach in the world hanging, while they dangled a slice of carrot in front of his nose to keep

him interested.

We’re just lucky it hasn’t backfired on us.

Given the situations in other countries such as England, Wales and even our dear friends over the ditch in Australia, it would have been easy to see Razor jump on a plane and head to sunnier shores.

Only his loyalty to the Crusaders perhaps has kept him here.

He gets to coach one of the best sides in the world, while waiting for the phone call to come.

Thanks, Crusaders. The New Zealand Rugby public will end up owing you one, I’m sure.

Of course, this all hinges on NZR actually seeing Robertson as the right man to take the reins.

They’d be silly not to, but a lot of things have come out of that office this year alone that don’t make sense, so anything is possible.

Is it simply a case of Fozzie stepping aside and Razor’s reign taking shape, or are the quiet murmurings in the background that Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown have a shot actually carrying a bit of weight.

You could argue they’re not a bad option.

But New Zealand’s rugby loving public are hellbent on seeing Robertson appointed as the next coach, and anything other than that could cause even more damage to the once invincible brand of the All Blacks.

NZ Rugby’s announcement that they will likely name the person set to lead the All Blacks past next year’s World Cup surely paves the way for Scott Robertson.

Dr Deb Robinson was awarded the Steinlager Salver for outstanding contribution to New Zealand Rugby at the sports annual awards this week.

The Methven Bowling Club will host one section of the Bowls Canterbury Sevens division two competition tomorrow while teams from Mid Canterbury are away competing at other greens in the region.

PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN

Matt Markham

Matt

Ready to walk the Green Mile

Matt Markham

He’s the most successful driver in the history of Green Mile racing at Methven, and local hero Ricky May will be out to try and extend his impressive record on his home track again tomorrow.

The champion reinsman, who is just one of three drivers in New Zealand to have reached 3000 career wins, has secured a driving engagement in both the trotting and pacing Green Miles that feature on tomorrow’s 11race card.

He’ll jump aboard former agegroup star Enghien in the trotting feature, and then drive recent Orari Cup winner Homebush Lad in the pacing event.

Both hail from the Woodend Beach stable of Greg and Nina Hope, who have provided May with five of his eight Green Mile wins over the years.

Both races tomorrow have undeniably been hurt by the change in calendar, with tomorrow’s meeting coming one week after the inaugural Grand Prix Day at Addington, where the New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All and

the Summer Free-For-All were both held.

Then there’s Invercargill next week with the feature event in the south now carrying a $100,000 price tag, and a feature race for the trotters included as well.

That’s meant a number of the best of both gaits have missed this week – robbing the Green Miles of some of the star attrac tions of the game.

But that shouldn’t detract from the quality line-ups set to race for $20,000 in each event either.

Enghien will have to take on the very smart Mataderos in the trotters’ Green Mile as the Robert and Jenna Dunn runner looks to continue his love of grass track racing.

He’s won eight of 10 on the green tops.

Now an eightyear-old, Enghien returned from injury earlier this year, and while he hasn’t been in the stunning form before injury put him on the sidelines early in his career, he’s been near enough, and a re turn to the grass where he’s won once and placed on another oc casion will be welcomed by his battle-wearied legs.

Homebush Lad is noted a grass-tracker and was an em phatic winner of the Orari Cup

Locals in action at Methven

Race 1: Tarukenga (Willy Lake), Brianna (David McCormick)

Race 2: Major Purchase (Warren Stapleton)

Race 3: Kalasa (Laurence Hanrahan)

Race 4: Webs Reactor (Willy Lake), President Pat (Neil Burton)

Race 5: Slainte (Oliver Adlam), Navara (Allan Ford), Reindeer (Neil Burton), Reign (Warren Stapleton)

Race 6: Taurus (John Hay), Maren Franco (Leo O’Reilly)

Race 7: Boyz Invasion (Michael Heenan), Franco Josiah (Ben Waldron)

Race 8: Got You Covered (Brent and Tim White)

Race 9: Woodbine Rocks (Laurence Hanrahan), Just Michael (Warren Stapleton), Itz Magical Meg (Simon Adlam), Not Over (Wendy Stevenson)

Race 10: Test The Boundaries (Allan Ford), Kohli Trouble (Brent and Tim White)

Race 11: Missmollygoodgolly (Raewyn Low), Kyran (Warren Stapleton)

late last month, and prior to that was desperately unlucky in the Methven Cup back in October.

He’s drawn tricky at one on the second row, but a trip on the markers might not be the worst thing if May can find a clear path from the top of the straight.

It’ll be a big day for the former-president of

ven Trotting Club, with a strong book of drives throughout the programme.

He teams up with fellow committee-man, Laurence Hanrahan for two chances in maiden pacer Kalasa and the promising Woodbine Rocks.

Both runners look strong each chances based on their re

Ricky’s Miles

Trotting

2013: Phil’s Gift

2015: Monbet

2017: Everybody Knows

Methven harness

Tomorrow at Mt Harding Racecourse

WeeklyWorkout

SPORTS QUIZ

1. What colour is the outermost ring on an archery target?

a) Yellow b) Red c) White

2. Spa Motor Racing Circuit is in which country? a) Belgium b) Spain c) Morrocco

3. What is the highest possible score in a game of ten pin bowling? a) 260 b) 280 c) 300

4. In which year did the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match take place? a) 1964 b) 1974 c) 1984

5. Korfball originated in which country? a) The Netherlands b) Russia c) Germany

6. Cowdray Park is the home of which sport? a) Tennis b) Football c) Polo

7. Which tennis Grand Slam event did Pete Sampras not win? a) US Open b) Wimbledon c) French Open

8. In which sport might you be a tweener or a cranker?

a) Table Tennis b) Ten Pin Bowling c) Badminton

Answers: 1. c) White. 2. a) Belgium. 3. c) 300. 4. b) 1974. 5. a) The Netherlands. 6. c) Polo. 7. c) French Open. 8. b) Ten Pin Bowling

DriveThru

Got a car question? Maybe Roger can help.

subs@theguardian.co.nz

Hyundais

In today’s social climate, one would have to brave in suggesting which of these two may be his or hers, so, I’ll perhaps leave that decision to you!

I’ve driven both very recently, but in totally different situations.

The i20 N about greater Auckland, then on some interestingly challenging roads about Kaipara Harbour in equally challenging weather, then the Kona Hybrid more locally, including a couple of longer drives.

The i20 N, a tribute to Hyundai’s WRC success, is a racetrack-capable hot hatch, delivering a most enjoyable, sporty experience for the road.

Meanwhile the self-charging Hybrid is part of the Kona evolution. There’s now a wide variety of power available, from 2-litre petrol, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre (N version) turbo-petrols and this 1.6-litre petrol/hybrid system. There are also pure electric versions, with either 39.2 or 64.0kwH batteries.

The look(s)

The Performance Blue 120 N pictured here with the claggy mist over said Kaipa-

i20N and Kona Hybrid

Costs: i20N – currently from $49,990 (RRP is $53,990). Kona Hybrid - Elite as driven$51,990. The Entry model is $47,990 (all plus on-road costs)

Clean Car Fees: i20N is zero ratedKona Hybrid should receive a rebate of approximately $3418.

Engine: i20N -1.6-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol engine - 150kW @ 5000-6000rpm and 275Nm @ 1750-4500rpm (or 304Nm @ 2000-4000rpm on over boost). Kona Hybrid -1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol and battery/electric motor package producing combined power of 104kW and 265Nm.

Transmission: i20N - six-speed manual, front-wheel drive, mechanical limited-slip diff. Kona – 6-speed dual-clutch-auto.

Towing: i20N is not rated to tow. Kona 1300kg (braked)

Warranty: 3 years/100,000 ks for each. Kona Hybrid’s high voltage battery has a 8year/160,000km warranty.

ra Harbour in the background shows off its red highlights with N logos and 18inch alloys.

The Hybrid Kona looks just like its siblings, so is visually pleasing in white, but even more when coloured red.

The power and the drive

The i20 N’s snorty-sounding 1.6-litre turbocharged engine delivers 150kW @ 5000-6000rpm and 275Nm @ 17504500rpm (or 304Nm on over-boost) to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a mechanical limited slip differential.

In all conditions, but especially in the torrential rain experienced, the diff was unobtrusive, and its contribution together with the tenacious grip of the Pirelli P Zero’s was much appreciated and enjoyed.

The excellent, quick changing manual box, which was always a delight to use (even in heavy traffic), meaning you can make the most of the engine’s constant wave of torque and spirited acceleration.

Hyundai claim with Launch Control activated 0-100 km/h can happen in 6.2 seconds, and there’s racetrack readiness with a maximum of 230 km/h. They also state an overall fuel use of just 7.7 litres/100km.

With the i20 N there’s numerous drive

modes to play with, allowing tuning of the engine’s response, steering, suspension, and exhaust sounds.

As well there’s the wide, ala carte cus-

very capable i20 N, with its sharp performance, keen dynamics, even in such challenging weather was a delight. So much so I that reckon it would be an ideal garage partner for the compact, very pleasant to drive, selfcharging Hybrid Kona, with its abundance of practical features, convenience, and economy. Problem then solved as to the ‘his or hers’ question (subject to all being six-speed manual competent).

dog (6)

Seeded with explosive devices backwards, which is material

Greek letter to five hundred expired, spotted with dirt (7)

Do so at snooker table, complete head-off, in depression (7)

Each half presented to ‘X’ is corroded (5)

Rather have people on backstreet to advances for clergy (11)

It makes one weary of being Communist in trade expansion (7)

One skilled in craft is an afterpart to painting (7)

In the party is a hundred where dancing is concerned (5) 4. Bodily organism may be followed by one playing roulette (6) 5. Picture how the Wise Men got in in the East (7) 6. Turn the page, almost, if there’s room to get through it (3) 7. Projection at length went first to Greece, first and last (5) 13. Settle oneself down to write music (7) 15. Look wet, note – and hark! (7) 16. Codas finish up in Gilbert and Sullivan initially (7) 17. Physical education given in change for dime may hamper one (6) 18. Work among the dead after a loss, being high (5) 20. Think up what may be got from a pipe (5) 22. Having given up marijuana, one cannot get higher (3)

Your Stars

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): People say “just kidding” when they mean “this is true to some degree.” You’ll hear the message behind the message and let it inform you, even if you don’t react to it.

TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20): You’ll seize the opportunity to practice what you’ve learned ... once you recognise it, that is. Such opportunities often come disguised as perplexing problems.

GEMINI (May 21-Jun 21): Your plan will be successful. Someone who keeps telling you that will be critical in this success. You could use a few more team members, so put out the word.

CANCER (Jun 22-Jul 22): Not all outsiders are loners; many of them are soloists. You have an excellent sense about what energy level to bring to the scene. Your skill in relating to people in the way they prefer will connect you to many.

LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22): The day has 24 hours, but how many moments is that? Take it one at a time. Some require more building than others. It’s not a bad time to start construction on a moment that will take months in the making.

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22): It is said that “nature abhors a vacuum.” Relationships will run according to the principle today, making the main question one of casting: Who will play nature and who will play the vacuum?

LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 23): One good idea will be the bridge between you and what you want. Give yourself lots of mental space and maybe some boredom, too, if you can manage it. Let yourself daydream.

SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 21): You are harder on yourself than even your harshest critic would be. A reminder: As a human, you’re not always going to make the optimal choice. Accept your humanity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): It’s more about believing than seeing today. This is the principle by which creations come together. Hang the vision in a high corner of your mind, then dance toward it.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): To effectively work a crowd, you must keep moving. The world is your “crowd” today. Through a commute or digital technology, you will spread your goodwill one short interaction at a time.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): If you get it right the first time, go up a level. There’s little to learn in arenas that are too easy for you. If you’re not learning, you’re declining. When you’re getting it wrong, the lessons are abundant.

PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20): Information comes to you like unmarked mail. It could be from anywhere –next door or next continent. A lack of context calls for greater diligence in the testing of information. Question everything.

Cryptic crossword

Simon Shuker’s Code-Cracker

ADULT

ENTERTAINMENT

THERE’S Hope. Sweet - Would suit Genuine Gentleman. The New Me. Book now Christmas is coming, so treat yourself. Phone 02102759055.

FOR SALE

ELECTRIC Guitar, Strat Copy. New Neck and Strings. Ideal Christmas Gift. Phone or Text 02102333813.

FIREWOOD for sale: Green Bluegum $250 for 3.6 m³. Green Old Man Pine $220 for 3.6 m³. Phone Shane James Firewood. 0276113334.

Smithfield Raspberries Open Today, 90 Smithfield Road. PYO, and freshly picked. Open 8am - 5.30pm

HIRE

GENERAL hire. Lawnmowers, chainsaws, concrete breakers, trailers, and more. All your DIY / party hire, call and see Ashburton U-Hire. 588 East Street.

Open Monday-Friday 7.00am – 5.30pm; Saturday 7.30am - 5pm; Sunday 8.30am12.30pm - Phone 308 8061. www.ashburtonuhire.co.nz

MOTORING

WHEEL alignments at great prices. Maximise the life of your tyres with an alignment from Neumanns Tyre Services Ltd, 197 Wills Street. Phone 308 6737.

RAFFLES

Lions Club of Ashburton playhouse raffle results: 1 - 4004 Sally Sinclair 2 - 3115 Graham Edge 3 - 4050 Jo Seymore 4 - 3933 Tomo Winners have been notified.

MR Green (Lawn and Garden Services) for all your Ride on and Rotary mowing, spraying, fertilising, garden and section tidy ups - Call Pat Prendergast 0274445314

SITUATIONS VACANT

FISHING – long time collector of old / vintage fishing tackle is looking to fill gaps in his collection. Anything considered. Top prices paid. phone Steve 03 3242064.

GENUINE private cash buyer, wanting Falcons, Holdens, Valiants or any pre 1995 vehicles suitable for preservation. Phone 021 02914847 or 03 615 7930

RECORDS, DVD’s, CD’s, Large and Small Collections. Top Prices Paid. Phone or Text Neville 021946362.

STAMPS, Large and Small Collections. Top Prices Paid. Phone or Text Neville 021946362.

RETAIL SALES POSITION

Bedsrus and Lazboy Gallery are two NZ brands known for quality sleep and comfort in NZ. Our store requires friendly enthusiastic sales people to join our team.

If you have the drive to make the sale and offer exceptional customer service this change could be for you.

Sales background and an interest in design is an advantage but product training is available.

Understanding of point of sale and associated processes.

The ability to work unattended.

Able to work rostered weekends and public holidays.

A degree of fitness as lifting and delivering furniture is required.

Please apply with CV to: Chris Redmond bedsruslazboy@ashburtongallery.co.nz or 28-32 Moore Street, Ashburton

SITUATIONS VACANT

Auto Glazier Assistant and/or Apprentice

Wilson Windscreens Ltd is seeking an Auto Glazier Assistant and/or Apprentice in our busy workshop.

This is a fulltime position. Must be hard working, an independent thinker and a team player.

We work on a large and varied range of vehicles – including cars, trucks and agricultural machinery – in both our workshop and in the field. A clean licence is a must.

Some overtime will be available. Must be a New Zealand resident or hold a current work visa. If this sounds like you, email your CV and references to mail to: office@wilsonwindscreens.co.nz

SITUATIONS VACANT

Fertiliser Spreader Driver

Class 4 or 5

Rural Transport is a well-established, family owned and managed transport company.

We require an enthusiastic driver to join our fertiliser spreading team in Ashburton.

The person we employ must be physically fit and capable of climbing in and out of the cab multiple times per day to open and close gates, must have basic IT skills to be able to use a tablet.

Prior spreading experience would be advantageous. Having a good geographical knowledge of Mid Canterbury is also an advantage.

Work days are varied so you must be flexible and be prepared to work weekends when required.

As this role is based in Ashburton, you must live within a reasonable distance to our depot.

From time to time, work may be required at one of our other depots.

Sound like you? Apply with your up-to-date CV and a cover letter to: careers@wgltd.co.nz

WEEKEND SERVICES

Please respect any COVID-19 restrictions or requirements

MEDICAL SERVICES HELPLINE SERVICESCOMMUNITY SERVICES

IN EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY PHONE 111.

DUTY DOCTORS

For all other medical assistance outside of normal hours please phone your general practice team, 24/7, to speak with a health professional who will give you free health advice on what to do or where to go if you need urgent care.

If you don’t have a regular general practice, call any GP team 24/7 for free telephone health advice.

Please bring your Community Services Card. All non-New Zealanders should bring their passport with them, New Zealanders should bring some form of ID.

Methven & Rakaia areas

For weekend and emergency

services please phone Methven Medical Centre on 302 8105 or Rakaia Medical Centre on 303 5002 for details on how to access the after-hours service each weekend.

Pharmacies

Wises Pharmacy, Countdown Complex, East Street, will be open from 9am - 1pm Saturday, from 10am1pm Sunday.

Ashburton Rest Homes

Please contact directly for hours.

Emergency dentist

If you do not have or cannot contact your regular dentist, please phone 027 683 0679 for the name of the rostered weekend dentist in Christchurch. Hours 9am - 5pm, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Healthline is a free health advice service. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The toll-free number to call is 0800 611 116.

Healthline is staffed by registered nurses who are trained to assess health problems and offer advice over the phone. The service is free and confidential.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Call 0800 AA WORKS (0800 229 6757) or visit www.aa.org.nz for more information.

Mental Health - Call free on 0800 222 955. Ask for the Crisis Team.

Safe Care - 24hr Rape and Sexual Assault Crisis Support. Phone 03 364 8791

Victims Support Group 24hr - Freephone 0800 VICTIM (0800 842 846). Direct dials to a volunteer.

Ashburton Office - 307 8409 week-days, 9am - 2pm, outside of these hours leave a message.

Alcohol Drug Help Line

Call us free on (0800 787 797). Lines open 10am - 10pm seven days.

Art Gallery

327 West Street, Ashburton, phone 308 1133.

Open daily: 10am – 4pm.

Ashburton Museum

327 West Street, Ashburton, phone 307 7890. Open daily: 10am – 4pm.

Ashburton Public Library Havelock Street. Ph 308 7192. Saturday: 10am - 1pm. Sunday: 1pm - 4pm.

EA Networks Centre - Pools 20 River Terrace - phone 03 308 4020. WEEKEND HOURS: Sat and Sun 7am - 7pm. Public holidays 10am - 5pm.

Information Centre Methven - Saturday and public holidays 10am until 2.30pm. Phone 302 8955 or isite@ midcanterburynz.com

ANIMAL SERVICES

Dog, Stock & Noise Control

Ashburton District Council 03 307 7700 - 24hr service.

Animal Welfare Centre

All enquiries - phone 308 4432 or 027 3329286.

Veterinarians

WEEKEND EMERGENCIES

Please call your usual vet to be transferred to the emergency vet.

CRAMPTON Colin Chris –On December 8, 2022, peacefully in his sleep, at Radius Millstream, Ashburton. In his 99th year.

Dearly loved and cherished husband of the late Alison.

Loved brother and brother in late of the late Rex and Marjorie, the late Geoff and Doris, Anna Eathorne.

Loved brother in law of the late Beverley and Alan Wilson, John and Val Fleming, the late Neil Fleming, Colin and Anne Fleming, Allison and the late David Fleming. Loved by his many nieces and nephews and their families. Messages to the Crampton family, P O Box 472, Ashburton 7740. A service to celebrate Colin’s life will be held in Our Chapel, cnr East & Cox Streets, Ashburton on Monday December 12, commencing at 10.30am, followed by cremation at the Ashburton Crematorium.

KERSLAKE, Betty (nee Woolley) –Passed peacefully on December 6, 2022 at Summerset Wigram, Christchurch, aged 91 years. Daughter of the late WF (Frank) Woolley and Laura. Loved wife of the late Alister Kerslake, mother of Lindsay Kerslake & partner Hilary. Grandmother to Chris Kerslake and partner Alyssa, former mother in law of Jan Kerslake. Sister of the late June Percy, May Dodds and the late Francis Woolley. Aunty to Coral Shaw and Peter, David Dodds, and the late Alan Dodds, Diane Kerslake and Janet Percy. Messages to the Kerslake family, P O Box 472, Ashburton 7740. Gratitude goes out to the caring staff at Summerset Wigram. A Service to celebrate Betty’s life will be held in Our Chapel, cnr East & Cox Streets, Ashburton on Wednesday December 14, commencing at 2.00pm, followed by cremation at the Ashburton Crematorium.

LETHAM, Jean –In loving memory of Jean who passed away one year ago. Dearly loved wife, mother, granny and friend to many. "Remembered always with much love, and missed hugely". FUNERAL FURNISHERS MASTER MONUMENTAL MASON E.B. CARTER LTD For all your memorial requirements New headstones and designs Renovations, Additional inscriptions, Cleaning and Concrete work Carried out by qualified tradesmen. 620 East Street Ashburton Ph/Fax 308 5369 or 0274 357 974 ebcarter@xtra.co.nz NZMMMA Member ENGAGEMENTS BENNETT - NELSON Murray and Judith Nelson and John and Sandra Bennett are delighted to announce the engagement of Charlotte and Joshua. MISSED PAPER? We promise it was accidental, but if your paper hasn’t arrived by your morning breakfast, in the first instance, please phone us on 03 307 7900 and follow the voice prompts: • Press 1 for ‘Circulation’ • Press 1 again for ‘Missed Papers’ You will then be connected to our amazing delivery team, please leave a clear and detailed message. It’s vital we hear your DELIVERY ADDRESS and we will aim to get a paper redelivered by lunchtime. Samelocation 1960, why customers us Mon 8am-2pm5am-4pm 123 Main South Road, Ashburton Ph 03 308 5774 FOURTH GENERATION - FAMILY OWNED YOUR LOCAL BAKERY Your Trusted Guardian – Proudly serving Mid Canterbury since 1879 uardian ASHBURTON bravest The Blossom Tanya Dearns was probably cheering louder than anyone when the All Blacks played Japan on Saturday, but wasn’t for the team in black. Dearns, the Mid Canterbury rugby boss and former Silver Ferns netballer, was barracking for her boy Warner, who scored try for Japan’s Brave Blossoms. UARDIAN WEEKEND OCT 2022 G HOME & GARDEN EVEN NG O - M Voluntary charity Society Register mitre10.co.nz/garden talks supersized US P12-15 Talk about high-flying kea making its mark. Meet Kelly the Kea and find out how this soft toy is part plan develop a ground-breaking stratospheric aircraft. READ MORE ONE SMALL STEP FOR KEA-KIND Protect Livelihood RURAL FARM INSURANCE 3071990 experienced who you out insurer. from NZbrokersmembership, broader cover businessoperation. Your Trusted Guardian – Proudly serving Mid Canterbury since 1879 uardian ASHBURTON Thursday,November 2022 Your Weekend Countdown VILLA OCCUPATION Contact resort Tony www.lochlearesort.co.nztony@lochlearesort.co.nz Naan left Ashburton restaurant’s Mohammed Khursheed Jahangir’s frustration is clear. His Asian restaurant, Miyabi Top in Town, has been shut for the past three weeks because four chefs have left after they exploited loophole the Government’s skilled worker residency visa programme. And now his popular Ashburton business could collapse for good. Asian chef crisis CR HOOPS’ BALANCING ACT P2 IN TOPTHECOP SPOT P4 Read more and check out the job opportunities, P3 READ MORE UARDIAN WEEKEND NOV 2022 $3.20 G He’s 86 an inspiration us Meet Ashburton’s Merv Grewar, who’s making a name for himself in indoor rowing and cycling in his octogenarian class. And he’s doing so with a very personaldrivingmotivation him. It’s no foroar-deal Merv INSIDE Having a Garage Sale? Call the Guardian for all your classified requirements. 307 7900 We help save lives every day through the research and development of improved diagnosis, better prediction and treatment of heart disease in our hospital and community. We Help Save Lives Find out how you can help by visiting: www.otago.ac.nz/chchheart A University of Otago Centre of Research Excellence

Honest. Trustworthy. Local.

Honest. Trustworthy. Local. WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Honest. Trustworthy. Local. WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Call me for all your real estate needs Mick Hydes 027 437 9696 mick.hydes@ mick.hydes@bayleys.co.nz

Call me for all your real estate needs Mick Hydes 027 437 9696 mick.hydes@bayleys.co.nz

Call me for all your real estate needs Mick Hydes 027 437 9696 mick.hydes@bayleys.co.nz

DEATHS DEATHS Canterbury owned, locally operated Office and Chapel Corner East & Cox Streets, Ashburton Ph 307 7433 Patersons Funeral Services and Ashburton Crematorium Ltd IN

PREARRANGE YOUR WISHES FOR PEACE OF MIND Jo Metcalf WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

Saturday

Thu UNERALS 18-22 Moore Street, Ashburton 0800 263 6679 | 027 637 1229 www.memoryfunerals.nz

Mountain weather hazards: Wind, Wind Chill. Mainly fine, apart from showers about the divide, heavy in the morning and isolated showers south of Arthur’s Pass afternoon. Wind at 1000m: NW gale 70 km/h easing to 50 km/h in the afternoon. Wind at 2000m: NW severe gale 90 km/h easing to 55 km/h afternoon. Freezing level: About 3000m in the north and about 2400 it the west and south.

Sunday

Mountain weather hazards: Thunderstorm, Wind, Wind Chill.

Rain about the divide, with heavy falls. Showers elsewhere, possibly heavy with a risk of thunderstorms and hail from afternoon, all easing evening.

24.1 11.1 9.0 13.2 0.0 9.0 45.8

22.5 14.3 –

NE 44 3:36pm

6:23pm L 12:21pm

21.4 11.7 9.8 10.6 0.0 10.9 58.7

NE 48 3:44pm

6:53am 7:07pm 12:36am 1:05pm

6:55am 7:16pm 12:40am 1:09pm

6:37am 6:51pm 12:20am 12:49pm

7:36am 7:55pm 1:20am 1:49pm

7:38am 8:02pm 1:22am 1:52pm

7:20am 7:39pm 1:04am 1:33pm

S 17 3:28pm A warm northerly flow covers the country. A low lies to the west of the South Island while a front moves slowly eastwards over central and northern Aotearoa New Zealand. A second low forms to the east of the South Island during the day. The front remains slow moving over the North Island on Sunday, while the deep low to the west of the South Island weakens.

5:42am 9:10pm 5:42am 9:10pm 5:42am 9:11pm

11:13pm 6:43am 11:56pm 7:37am – 8:37am

22.7 9.0 –27.8 0.0 ––SUN PROTECTION ALERT Data provided by NIWA PROTECTION REQUIRED Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap – 9:10 5:35 ampm